2023 WISCONSIN ACT 5
An Act to amend 93.59 (2) (a), 93.59 (2) (d), 93.59 (3), 281.68 (1t) (intro.), 281.68 (3) (a) 1. and 281.69 (3) (a); and to create 281.68 (1) (ar), 281.69 (1b) (br), 281.70 (1) (am) and 281.70 (4) (a) 4. of the statutes; relating to: eligibility for producer-led watershed, lake, and river protection grants.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
5,1Section 1. 93.59 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: 93.59 (2) (a) The producer-led group includes at least 5 agricultural producers each of whom operates an eligible farm, as defined in s. 91.86 (1), in one watershed or in adjacent watersheds. The group may include additional agricultural producers who are not required to be operators of eligible farms.
5,2Section 2. 93.59 (2) (d) of the statutes is amended to read: 93.59 (2) (d) The group assists agricultural producers in the watershed or watersheds under par. (a) to voluntarily conduct nonpoint source water pollution abatement activities.
5,3Section 3. 93.59 (3) of the statutes is amended to read: 93.59 (3) A producer-led group that receives, or on whose behalf a legal entity receives, a grant under this section shall annually file a report with the department describing the activities conducted with the grant and the impact of those activities on water quality in the watershed or watersheds under sub. (2) (a).
5,4Section 4. 281.68 (1) (ar) of the statutes is created to read: 281.68 (1) (ar) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s. 93.59 (2).
5,5Section 5. 281.68 (1t) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read: 281.68 (1t) Lake monitoring and protection contracts. (intro.) The department may award contracts to public groups or persons for the creation and support of a statewide lake monitoring network. The contracts may include payments for the costs of all of the following:
5,6Section 6. 281.68 (3) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read: 281.68 (3) (a) 1. Eligible recipients to consist of nonprofit conservation organizations, as defined in s. 23.0955 (1), producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, qualified school districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management. If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.
5,7Section 7. 281.69 (1b) (br) of the statutes is created to read: 281.69 (1b) (br) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s. 93.59 (2).
5,8Section 8. 281.69 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: 281.69 (3) (a) A designation of eligible recipients, which shall include nonprofit conservation organizations, producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management. If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.
5,9Section 9. 281.70 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read: 281.70 (1) (am) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s. 93.59 (2).
5,10Section 10. 281.70 (4) (a) 4. of the statutes is created to read: 281.70 (4) (a) 4. Producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects. If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.
